Tagline: Coming together over secrets and lies
couldn’t have turned out better for these two. If only they could have
twenty-twenty vision sooner before it’s too late.

Blurb/Summary:

After a vacation fling, a high school sex
ed guidance counselor and a single father are forced to face each other in real
life.

Having been the honor roll student, good
girl in high school who got pregnant at sixteen, Cassie Finnerty knows what can
happen if teens aren’t educated about safe sex.
Her job is to counsel the students, answer their questions, and hand out
condoms when requested.

Jake
Lucas is a divorced, single father raising his almost sixteen-year-old
daughter. When the contents of his
daughter’s purse spill and condoms tumble out, he freaks out. After interrogating his daughter, he finds
out she got the condoms at school, so he goes to confront the person who gave
them to her and gets the surprise of his life.

Review:

Growing
up was never easy for Cassie, especially with a baby on her hip far too
young. Having to be an adult before her
time didn’t make having a social life too easy for her, but when the
opportunity to change all that on a vacation was a gorgeous man named Luke, the
ideas were just too delicious to pass up.
When the cold light of day and reality set in, will the adventure be
worth it or will Cassie decide that one casual fling was enough to last a
lifetime?

For
Jack “Luke” Lucas, meeting Cassie was the best thing that could have happened
to him. But when she becomes more than a
dream, but a living breathing thorn in his side, can Luke see past everything
to the woman that won his heart without even trying?

This
heartwarming story was a really great read that showcased the two main
characters and the struggles they went through to be together in the end. Tina Gallagher is a new to me author, but I
can definitely say that I will be looking for more of her works in the future
since this one was such a hit. The story
held more than just sex and a HEA, but there was an actual background to each
character and I have to say that was a nice change of pace. The only thing I would have liked to see more
of would have been the actually make up that happened between the main
characters at the end, and the possible budding relationship between the best
friends and kids. Other than that this
is a great story if you are looking for a lazy day read that will warm your heart
and leave you content.

Tagline: Being brought home by tragedy, could end up
being the best thing that could have happened for Julie.

Blurb/Summary:

When a family illness forces Julie Loring
to return home to North Carolina from New York, she is determined to avoid her
old love, Dan Williams, and make the speediest possible escape. Her hope is
dashed the first night back.

Dan doesn’t know why Julie ran off twelve
years earlier, but he’s still in love with her. He wants her to be his wife and
mother to his child. Though Julie warns she hasn’t changed, neither can deny
the sparks that fly between them.

But Julie left
with a secret—one she’s certain will destroy any chance they might have of a
future together.

Review:

For
Julie Loring, coming back to North Carolina was never an option for her. After
running away from her entire life twelve years ago, being drug back was something
akin to torture for her. But when her
mother fell ill, Julie knew that if she didn’t go now than it might just be too
late. When her chance meeting with Dan
Williams happened shortly after she arrived, Julie’s entire world turned upside
down. Even after all this time, Dan
still had her heart, now Julie had to find a way to leave again without getting
even more attached to the one place she was always sure she never needed. Will finding Dan again, prove more difficult
than before to leave behind or will Julie ignore her heart again and give up
the perfect second chance at happiness?

Dan
Williams has been in love with Julie since he first saw her in the second
grade. Being four years older than her
didn’t stop the feelings from coming to fruition like a freight train after
college. When Julie left him without a
reason why, Dan’s love for Julie grew even more, and while he was angry at her
for leaving, Dan knew that his life would never be the same without Julie in
it. After twelve long years, and a
tragic reason for coming home, can Dan convince Julie to give him another
chance or will he have to bear the pain of losing his first love all over
again?

The
story of Dan and Julie was really well written and came across as a great
coming together after so many years.
Having never read anything by Meg Bellamy before I was a little
disappointed by the story overall. While
the characters seemed to have great potential, the story line just seemed a bit
understated to the idea behind it. Not
once did any great passion overcome me while reading this, but then it was an
easy read. I can’t really put my finger
on what went wrong in this story for me, but just something seemed off
throughout the entire piece, while I won’t stop reading other books by Meg
Bellamy, I would hope that her other works give me greater feelings than
lukewarm.

For ten years, Avery Easton has quietly
lusted after her twin brother’s best friend, Ridge Gates. When the cruel, cold
hand of fate takes her brother’s life, Avery and Ridge turn to each other in
grief and share a night of ecstasy. But mind-blowing sex with the man of her
dreams can’t push away Avery’s reality.

Violent and terrifying events have
followed her brother’s body home and introduced Avery to another man…one who’s
willing to give her everything she needs. And then there’s the secret she
harbors that could tear her and Ridge apart even as it connects them for the
rest of their lives.

A
promise on the battlefield led Ridge straight into the arms of the woman he
knows he has no business being with, but can’t stay away from. If he fails to
come to terms with his broken body and Avery’s revelations, he could lose her
forever—if not to another man, then to the violence that brought Ridge and
Avery together.

Review:

The most unexpected and sad fates can
draw to people together. That's truth
for Avery and Ridge. The two had secret
feelings for one another, brought together by her brother and his best friend
after his life ends sadly. The emotional
element of this book will have you in tears, good and bad. It's written so well, the story grabs your
attention and if you're an emotional reader, you might want to have a tissue
handy. I found myself so involved in the
story that the outside world just had to wait.
I just had to know how things would work. The tension builds and builds until it all
explodes with one captivating climax.

Dan never wanted a tenant for the rundown
cottage near his isolated home in wild and wonderful Cornwall. So how come he
finds himself living next door to a beautiful young woman who stirs feelings in
him he thought he’d buried years ago...

Rowena simply wants somewhere safe for
herself and her young son to start a new life. Her handsome new neighbor can be
as aloof as he wants – she doesn’t need anyone’s help, and she has no intention
of allowing a man to hurt her again. Ever.

But
as spring turns into summer, Rowena finds herself drawn to her self-contained
but completely gorgeous landlord. Can she and little Jamie melt the ice around
Dan’s wounded heart, or will the past always haunt two people almost too afraid
to love again?

Review:

Sometimes all is takes to find love is a
new beginning. Even when that fresh
start DOESN'T involve finding love.

Rowena has had her share of hurts. But it's time to get away from the past and
create better for herself and her child.
Though she is fiercely scared and independent, there is a part of her,
even if it's just a small part that yearns for her neighbor.

Dan has his own problems, and despite
Rowena's chill, he's drawn to her. Every
push makes him push harder, and both have a long way before they give into
temptation and let their walls down.

Claire Dalton weaves a beautiful story
about starting over, new chances, and that long lasting love everyone looks
for. The author has created characters
that are likable and a plot that pulls the reader into the story. If you're a fan of contemporaries, then don't
miss New Beginnings!

Serena O’Donnell, a healer, copes with
depressed and suicidal patients dealing with past tragedies. She lives a quiet
and safe life, comfortable in the thought she is free to define her own path.
Suddenly a random phone call tumbles her existence into a fantasy realm peopled
with warring superhuman beings who seem to know more about her than she does.

Gabriel, a Field Psychic, is committed to
protecting Serena but in the process discovers he wants to be more than her
bodyguard. Serena and Gabriel team up to discover why she has earned the secret
warriors' attention and explore Serena’s past for clues.

Their
journey becomes one of self-discovery, healing, and the slow burn of unexpected
passion. The answers they find could bond them in love or forever tear them
apart.

Review:

Fast paced, dark and riveting, Hunted
Past delves into a world of paranormal that is sure to delight readers of the
genre. Serena and Gabriel make a strong
leading couple, and their path to a HEA is filled with plenty of action, angst,
and emotion.

Elle
Hill has created an enchanting world that captivated me from the start. The story doesn't have a lagging moment in
it, and the twists and turns within the plot kept the pages turning. While this book has some graphic language and
violence in it, it's nothing that's over the top. I enjoyed reading it and would look for more
from Elle Hill in the future.

Contractor Noah Chase heard mournful
cries inside the castle when he was a boy. Now he’s returned to
Sussex-On-Delaware to restore the castle and set the spirits free. To succeed,
he must face his past, gain the town's cooperation, and come to terms with the
emotions the sexy photographer he hires inspires inside his heart.

Lilly Briton has ghosts of her own. After
a bitter divorce and estrangement from her family, the last thing she wants is
to return to Sussex-On-Delaware. Hired as a photographer to chronicle the
castle's restoration, she unwillingly finds herself falling for Noah.

Together
they attempt to uncover the mystery surrounding Campbell's Folly and its curse.
Yet before they can help the spirits of star-crossed lovers, they must deal
with the past and the presence of an evil entity set on destroying them all.

Review:

Ghosts, a mystery and love. What could be
better?

Echoes In Stone is a mixture of the above
and so much more. MK Mancos writes one
heck of a tale that kept me up into the odd hours of the night, just to
finish. Noah and Lilly have a long way
to go for their chance at happiness, but the path taken leads them down an exciting
road. The great description and fun
dialogue keep the book fresh. I enjoy
this author's writing style very much.
It's easy to follow along and easy to get lost, shutting out everything
else around.

If
you pick up this book, clear your calendar.
It's a read in one sitting type of story!

Tagline:
Tagline: A wife leaves her abusive husband, but soon realizes nothing
will keep him away. Not even death.

Blurb/Summary:

Josie Collins is the wife of a world
famous rock star and the envy of nearly every woman in the country. But the
horrific truth is her husband wants nothing more than to see her dead. Josie
finally summons the courage to leave her famous, abusive husband and returns to
her hometown among the winter wheat of Kansas. When her husband is killed in a
fiery car accident while on his way to find her, she thinks she has escaped him
at last, but she’s wrong. It quickly becomes clear that even in death he has no
intention of letting her go. As Josie develops a rapport with sexy police
chief, Paul Stark, trouble begins to brew. There’s something special about the
tall, mysterious officer with the long jagged scar down his face. But Josie
soon learns that he’s haunted by a nightmarish past. Sparks fly in their small,
Midwestern town, and as their attraction grows, so does a dead husband’s fury.
In order to smother this dark, sinister spirit, and perhaps find true and
lasting happiness with each other, the living must learn to let go, give in,
and leave their ghosts in the past.

Content
Warning: Contains sensual sex and some explicit language

Review:

It's not over until the rock star
dies...No, that's definitely not the case.
This isn't a rock and roll fantasy, it's hell. And when it's time to break free, the hell
only gets worse.

You can envy Josie all you want, but if
anyone knew the truth, the heartbreaking secret she bears, one would know that
being the wife of a famous star isn't all it's cracked up to be. But Josie is strong enough now, she's ready
to go. But that won't stop her husband.

A
Death That Lingers thrills. The plot was
crafted to keep readers begging for more.
A little dark, a little paranormal, the author has created a story that
keeps us on our toes. You won't know
what to expect next. If you enjoy a well
written story, A Death That Lingers is one you should add to your list.

Tagline: Coming back after over 20 years, can the hurt
from the past be over looked when your one and only is standing in front of
you?

Blurb/Summary:

Class of 85

Retired Staff Sergeant Seth Roberts
returns to Summerville to begin the next chapter of his life. To do that, he
needs to find out why his girlfriend married another man more than twenty years
ago while he served in the Persian Gulf. Their high school reunion is the
perfect place to confront Elyse Jordan.

Determined to be a strong role model for
her daughters, Professor of Feminist Theory Elyse Jordan never talks about the
loss of her only love twenty years ago. Caring for her mother during cancer
treatment brings Elyse back to Summerville, the one place she avoided after
Seth’s death. When an invitation to her twenty-fifth reunion arrives, she
decides to go and reconnect with lost friends. She never imagines she’ll come
face-to-face with Seth instead.

Can
Seth and Elyse find the thread of love that bound them together or will past
tragedies and misunderstandings keep them apart?

Review:

Reading
the Class of ’85 series both for fun and review has been a joy to get to read,
but something about this one just fell a little short for me. The situation surrounding both Seth and Elyse
is a unique one but not completing uncommon. I was shocked to see that if the
feelings they had all those years ago, then how they allowed themselves to be
kept apart was odd. But the coming
together at the reunion left me wanting more of something, possibly drama, over
the lost time together. The characters
of both Elyse and Seth didn’t readily come to life for me, but took some
imagining to really see what the author was wanting them to look like, which in
turn I think made the story a little harder to enjoy.

Thinking
of the other books in this series, I think if this story would have had more
build up to the climax it would have been a much more enjoyable read. This one will not deter me from finding
others in this series to read, but I might hesitate to read other works from
Leanne Tyler in the future. I just
thought this book could have had a lot more happening with the potential that
it started out with.

Tagline: Loving hard is something Brenna has done
towards Jase since the beginning, but can he open his heart to her like she has
since the beginning?

Blurb/Summary:

Brenna’s love for Jase has grown from a
crush to a soul-searing need, a painful hunger…and an unrequited ache, because
the savagely sexy Texan doesn’t feel the same. A bequest and stipulation in his
father’s will have hardened Jase, it seems. Now she must endure three months of
living under his roof. Three torturous, tension-filled months and Brenna will
have fulfilled the stipulation; will be free to attempt to regain the heart
lost to Jase so long ago.

Since the age of eighteen, Jase has protected
Brenna—from himself, as much as anyone else. Living with her proves too rousing
even for his iron will. He’ll claim what’s his, take Brenna in ways he’d
previously only dreamed, sink so deeply inside her luscious body he’ll never
find his way out. And be damned if he’ll let her go.

A
scorching Texas summer can’t compete with blazing lust as Brenna gives in,
gives over, gives all that she is to Jase, to the only man she’s every loved…to
the one.

Review:

Being
a long-time fan of Lora Leigh’s work it was a real treat to get to review the
story of Brenna and Jace. The emotional
turmoil that surrounds Brenna tugged at my heart strings and even brought a few
tears to my eyes as the book went along.
While the tears were flowing for the broken heart she harbored, somehow
she kept letting Jace back in, even though more pain was sure to come her way.
There were points when I was almost angry at her way of bending to his will too
much, but as the story went along everything made sense and the pain in the beginning
was worth the pleasure in the end. The
characters of both Jace and Brenna literally came to life in my mind as the
story began, being able to see the story unfold in my mind, just made this
story that much better.

Having
read several other works by Lora Leigh, the HEA in this story was along the
same caliber as her other works and left me with a sense of completion that all
the loose ends had been tied up. The
romance genre is one where I can tell Ms. Leigh is quite comfortable, and while
I have read several of her more erotic works it’s her contemporary romances
that really keep me drawn in. Getting an
opportunity to read her works for reviewing has been a pleasure and would not
disappoint anyone who picked up this great read.

Tagline: When your only reasons for staying apart get
blown to pieces, just what are you supposed to do to protect your heart from
the man who has had it all along?

Blurb/Summary:

Three Reasons Why is a sequel to Kiss Me,
Kate.

Wes wants Jill Harper in every possible
way a man can want a woman. But she’s resisting. Hard. When he learns she needs
a handyman for her diner, he decides fate is smiling upon him—until Jill offers
three reasons why they can’t be together. Always up for a challenge, Wes
decides to prove her ridiculous reasons unsound, one by one.

Jill knows her reasons are total bull,
but she’s sticking by them, come hell or high water. Unfortunately, Wes Robson
is extremely persuasive. Especially in bed. If the sex gets any hotter they’ll
likely burn down the town. Before long, Jill’s reasons begin falling away as
fast as her clothing whenever Wes is around.

But
Jill knows exactly what Wes wants for his future, and she’s just prolonging the
inevitable heartbreak. The real reason she can’t give herself to Wes, can’t
allow herself to love him, can only lead to pain—the kind from which neither
may ever recover.

Review:

The
story of Jill and Wes is a continuation from Kiss Me, Kate with guest
appearances of Both Rick and Kate, and with the first story Mari Carr knocked
this one out of the park. The main
characters, Wes and Jill, were so well written that they came alive on the page
which really made reading this story such a pleasure to read. Having read several other works by Ms. Carr
in the past I hoped that this story lived up to the high standards that I had
gained from her previous books, and she has once again made another hit.

The
emotions in this book were so raw that as a reader, I truly was taken on the
same roller coaster ride that Jill was experiencing every time she got close to
Wes. Mari really made these characters so 3-D that everything they did came to
life from the pages for me. While this
book sits comfortably in the contemporary romance genre, it could easy pass
into the suspense or slight erotica as well.

The
cover art was really something that drew me to this book, not only because of
the sexy cover models, but that it really didn’t give too much of the story
away and made me want to know more about the characters after reading the blurb
on the back. This book would make a
great addition to anyone’s reading collection and I can’t wait to see what else
it is that she comes up with in the future.